The gist here is that according to recent surveys, people don’t want to work where they can’t have all the access to the internet they want. Security measures at corporations have become so stringent that people are having a hard time getting WORK done, much less having a pleasant and productive work environment (i.e. one where the occasional IM conversation isn’t frowned upon).
Imagine then, how discouraging it might be to your patrons if you have a “secure to the point of useless” computing environment. Or policies that prohibit IM or chat. They can’t do it at work… they can’t do it at the library… suddenly 1000 bucks for a PC and 20 bucks a month for high speed internet access doesn’t look so bad. And hey, why am I paying for the library again?
Liz Rea is the Network Administrator at NEKLS. You can reach her by email (lrea (at) nekls.org), phone, or on several instant messaging platforms (look Liz up by her email address). Visit the 
